Tiles made from the London Underground

UK-based designer Jeffrey Miller created tiles for the London Underground, made from the transit system’s own waste.

According to Miller, tiles are a defining feature of the London Underground, the world’s oldest metro system. Their material origins, however, are often unknown, and founded on virgin resources.

Called From the Underground, the new tiles are made from the waste produced during the construction and operation of the transit system itself. They include the naturally forming London clay, excavated during tunnel boring, and iron oxide-rich dust from train wheels grinding against steel tracks.

The tiles are cast from moulds provided by H&E Smith, a tile manufacturer that refurbishes tiles for the London Underground, and were originally designed by Leslie Green, the architect behind many iconic London Underground stations in the early 20th century.

Photos: Sarel Jansen